Looking back, Allard is happy her idea wasn’t selected for the Seven Steps Up commission. The one she created for the wall is much better, she believes.
“It just had a lot more thought into it,” says Allard, explaining her portrayal of Mother Nature as a diverse being was inspired by the variety found in nature.
“Our perspective and how we relate to the environment, and the being we call Mother Nature,
changes depending on where we are or live,” she says. “In Spring Lake, we are very connected to water, and watching the sunset is common for people here but, at the same time, unique and specific to where we live.”
Allard has been interested in the arts for her whole life, whether it’s fine art or performing arts. She remembers as a little girl sitting at her window for hours, drawing fashion sketches or creating her own picture books. She enjoyed expressing herself through dance and theater. In high school, she has taken as many art classes as possible.
“I have always made art simply for myself,” she says.
